THE EXPLORATORIUM

EIN 94-1696494 SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Revenue 2024: $63,991,919
Expenses 2024: $67,798,808

Program services were 76.6% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

As filed

Subsection: 03
NTEE code: A500
Classification: 1200
Street: PIER 17 SUITE 100

These codes are the IRS's own and are shown exactly as filed. What each one means is in the Business Master File documentation (opens in a new tab).

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

THE EXPLORATORIUM IS A PUBLIC LEARNING LABORATORY EXPLORING THE WORLD THROUGH SCIENCE, ART, AND HUMAN PERCEPTION. OUR MISSION IS TO CREATE INQUIRY-BASED EXPERIENCES THAT TRANSFORM LEARNING WORLDWIDE.

Activities or mission (Part I)

THE EXPLORATORIUM IS A PUBLIC LEARNING LABORATORY EXPLORING THE WORLD THROUGH SCIENCE, ART, AND HUMAN PERCEPTION.OUR MISSION IS TO CREATE INQUIRY-BASED EXPERIENCES THAT TRANSFORM LEARNING WORLDWIDE.OUR VISION IS A WORLD WHERE PEOPLE THINK FOR THEMSELVES AND CAN CONFIDENTLY ASK QUESTIONS, QUESTION ANSWERS, AND UNDERSTAND THE WORLD AROUND THEM.WE VALUE LIFELONG LEARNING AND TEACHING, CURIOSITY AND INQUIRY, OUR COMMUNITY, ITERATION AND EVIDENCE, INTEGRITY AND AUTHENTICITY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND INCLUSION AND RESPECT.

MUSEUM AND VISITOR EXPERIENCE:WE'RE AN R&D LABORATORY THAT EXPERIMENTS WITH CUTTING-EDGE IDEAS. WE CREATE, EXPERIMENT, TEST, AND BUILD NEARLY EVERYTHING AT THE EXPLORATORIUM OURSELVES, ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THE MOST INTERESTING AND IMPORTANT IDEAS TO PURSUE, OFTEN PUSHING THE LIMITS OF WHAT'S POSSIBLE. IN THIS SENSE, WE'RE A CLASSIC RESEARCH-AND-DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION, CONSTANTLY CREATING NEW ACTIVITIES, WEBSITES, EVENTS, ARTWORKS, EXHIBITS, AND MORE.

Expenses $34,141,791 · Revenue $11,645,149
GLOBAL COLLABORATIONS:WE LEARN AND SHARE WITH PARTNERS WORLDWIDE. BY DRAWING ON THE EXPLORATORIUM'S BROAD EXPERTISE, GLOBAL COLLABORATIONS IS ABLE TO PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE SET OF CREATIVE SERVICES FROM MASTER PLANNING TO PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT TO EXHIBIT FABRICATION AND INSTALLATION. WE LIKE TO BE AS FAR UPSTREAM IN OUR CLIENTS' CREATIVE PROCESS AS POSSIBLE, EXPLORING THE RICH QUESTIONS THAT LEAD TO TRULY AUTHENTIC, INNOVATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING.

Expenses $7,502,446 · Revenue $12,250,790
EDUCATOR ENGAGEMENT:WE'RE AT THE FOREFRONT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION. BY MAKING SCIENCE VISIBLE, TOUCHABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO A WIDE VARIETY OF PEOPLE AT THE MUSEUM, ONLINE, AND IN THE CLASSROOM, OUR EXPLORE-FOR-YOURSELF WAY OF LEARNING AND TEACHING INFLUENCES SCIENCE EDUCATION WORLDWIDE. OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS PROVIDE EDUCATORS WITH THE SKILLS, TOOLS, AND SUPPORT THEY NEED TO APPLY INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING AND TEACHING IN THEIR CLASSES. WE ALSO DESIGN PROGRAMS THAT MAKE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE TRADITIONALLY SEPARATE WORLDS OF FORMAL (SCHOOL) AND INFORMAL (MUSEUM) EDUCATION AND UNDERSTANDING.

Expenses $10,263,045 · Grants $29,357 · Revenue $6,701,072

As filed on the 2024 return.

Officers and directors · 2024

As listed in Part VII of the 2024 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

WILLIAM BILL F MELLIN

CHAIR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
MARTHA EHMANN CONTE

VICE-CHAIR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
SHARON FLANAGAN

SECRETARY

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
KEVIN FOSTER

TREASURER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
RAVIN AGRAWAL

DIRECTOR (THRU 12/31/2024)

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
GENO ARMSTRONG

DIRECTOR (THRU 4/1/2025)

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
DARREN BECHTEL

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
GARY BENGIER

DIRECTOR (THRU 12/31/2024)

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
LAMAR BUNTS

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
JASON CHENG

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
GEORGE W COGAN

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
W BREWSTER ELY

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
CHRIS FOSTER

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
LYNN C FRITZ

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
JOSIE HASPEL

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
JONATHAN HEILIGER

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
FRANCES HELLMAN

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
GREGORY HUNTER

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
MIMI ITO

DIRECTOR (THRU 10/29/2024)

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
MICHAEL R JACOBSON

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
JAMES JONES

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
ROBERTA KATZ

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
MARTIN LAUBER

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
PHIL MARINEAU

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
ALISON MAUZE

DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2

The first 25 listed. Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

2024

Revenue

$63,991,919

Expenses

$67,798,808

Contributions

$27,618,230

Grants paid

$29,357
2023

Revenue

$66,629,029

Expenses

$65,980,256

Contributions

$29,401,850

Grants paid

$8,700
2022

Revenue

$61,024,177

Expenses

$64,760,247

Contributions

$24,434,650

Grants paid

$0

Tax year	Revenue	Expenses	Contributions	Grants paid
2024	$63,991,919	$67,798,808	$27,618,230	$29,357
2023	$66,629,029	$65,980,256	$29,401,850	$8,700
2022	$61,024,177	$64,760,247	$24,434,650	$0

The four totals the IRS asks for on Part I of the Form 990, as filed. A dash means the figure was not present on the return — not that it was zero.

Other returns filed

2024 · 990-T

Revenue

not reported

Expenses

not reported

Assets (EOY)

not reported
2023 · 990-T

Revenue

not reported

Expenses

not reported

Assets (EOY)

not reported
2022 · 990-T

Revenue

not reported

Expenses

not reported

Assets (EOY)

not reported
2021 · 990

Revenue

$79,571,391

Expenses

$59,221,371

Assets (EOY)

$275,042,102
2021 · 990-T

Revenue

not reported

Expenses

not reported

Assets (EOY)

not reported
2021 · 990-T

Revenue

not reported

Expenses

not reported

Assets (EOY)

not reported
2020 · 990

Revenue

$47,989,738

Expenses

$46,912,545

Assets (EOY)

$286,875,309
2020 · 990-T

Revenue

not reported

Expenses

not reported

Assets (EOY)

not reported
2019 · 990

Revenue

$48,557,720

Expenses

$52,960,158

Assets (EOY)

$264,783,310
2018 · 990

Revenue

$96,372,343

Expenses

$53,538,400

Assets (EOY)

$269,815,117

Tax year	Form	Revenue	Expenses	Assets (EOY)
2024	990-T	not reported	not reported	not reported
2023	990-T	not reported	not reported	not reported
2022	990-T	not reported	not reported	not reported
2021	990	$79,571,391	$59,221,371	$275,042,102
2021	990-T	not reported	not reported	not reported
2021	990-T	not reported	not reported	not reported
2020	990	$47,989,738	$46,912,545	$286,875,309
2020	990-T	not reported	not reported	not reported
2019	990	$48,557,720	$52,960,158	$264,783,310
2018	990	$96,372,343	$53,538,400	$269,815,117

Nonprofiteer parses Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF, in a window of recent tax years. These returns are recorded from the IRS e-file index, so their figures were extracted by that index rather than read from the return here — treat them as a different source from the filings above, not as more of the same record. A dash means the index carries no figure; Form 990-T listings carry none at all. Showing the 10 most recent; the API carries the rest.

Grants made

No itemized grants to organizations. Schedule I is filed only by organizations that granted more than $5,000 to a recipient, so most filers have none.

Grants received

DONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING

$2,127,637

2024 ARTS, CULTURE & HUMANITIES
BNY MELLON CHARITABLE GIFT FUND

$2,000,000

2023 TO FURTHER THE ORGANIZATION'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
DONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING

$1,986,902

2022 ARTS, CULTURE & HUMANITIES
DONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING

$1,688,431

2023 ARTS, CULTURE & HUMANITIES
MORGAN STANLEY GLOBAL IMPACT FUNDING TRUST INC

$1,010,000

2023 UNRESTRICTED GENERAL SUPPORT
FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND

$565,349

2024 For grant recipient's exempt purposes
THE BESSEMER GIVING FUND

$565,000

2022 GENERAL SUPPORT
FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND

$536,658

2023 For grant recipient's exempt purposes
FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND

$359,038

2022 For grant recipient's exempt purposes
AMERICAN ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION

$306,250

2022 ARTS, CULTURE

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Other IRS files

Auto-Revocation List

Not listed. The IRS publishes this list for organizations whose exemption was automatically revoked for failing to file for three consecutive years.

Publication 78

Listed as of 13 October 2026, under deductibility PC.

These are two separate IRS files on two separate schedules, shown as published and not reconciled with each other. Neither is a statement about whether a contribution is deductible today: 19,245 organizations appear in Publication 78 while the IRS's own revocation file lists them as currently revoked, more than half of those revoked before 2019. Absence from Publication 78 is evidence of nothing, and presence is not evidence either. Verify current status with the IRS before relying on it.

What this page reflects

The registration facts above come from the IRS Business Master File published 13 October 2026 and read 29 October 2026, for every organization at once. Returns through tax year 2024, the newest we have parsed for this organization.